Severus Snape and the Mudblood Slytherin
by Mistress Nimue
Summary: A peak into the secretive world of Severus Snape, through the eyes of Jana, the Mudblood Slytherin a girl with a few unusual talents. A Harry Potter Copper Age crossover story
1. Chapter 1

The Slytherin common room was packed and a buzz of real excitement filled the air. Almost all of the assembled students were looking forward to what the day might bring – a chance to show off their skills for magic and cunning, coupled with an opportunity to gain kudos amongst their peers. The exceptions were those few students who didn't really fit in Slytherin house quite as well as they might have done. Those who did not come from pureblood lineages, or whose parents had not also been Slytherins. Those unfortunate enough to be marked out by some minor defect – a stutter perhaps, a soft streak. Even in a community that considers itself dark and dangerous, there were those considered not quite dangerous enough, and these students were treated ruthlessly by their classmates.

Jana fell firmly into this category. She was a mudblood. They were very rare indeed in Slytherin, unheard of to the point of being freakish. To make matters worse, she wasn't terribly good at anything involving wands. Only a significant knack for hiding had preserved her sanity during her three previous years at Hogwarts. The former head of house, Professor Slughorn, had not been outright unpleasant to her. She had a good brain, even if her magical talents were limited, and Slughorn's oft expressed philosophy was that most people possessed some quality worth exploiting. He had never discovered hers, but her reliably high marks encouraged him to think she had something about her despite her unpromising origins.

Just as she was carefully hiding herself in the shadow of one of the long, dark curtains, Severus Snape entered the room. His presence inspired instant silence. Jana thought that promotion to head of house had made him look even more haughty and aloof than usual. He gazed around the room, his sharp eyes picking her out for a few seconds that made her tremble helplessly. The man frightened her about as much as he intrigued her. They had joined Hogwarts in the same year, he to teach potions, she as a gauche and awkward student. The sorting hat had taken one look at the inside of her mind and declared her a Slytherin through and through, even if she hadn't managed to get herself born that way. She never once doubted that the hat was right, even if her fellow students questioned it continually. Jana knew what she could do, and they didn't – secrets she rather enjoyed.

"Today we play the Slytherin Game, an excellent tradition passed down through this house for many years," Professor Snape announced. His voice wasn't especially loud, but it carried to every corner of the room.

"For those of you who have not participated before, the rules are as follows. One student will be selected as the quarry. That student may take any measure they see fit to hide and protect themselves within the buildings and grounds of Hogwarts. The quarry is granted a fifteen minute head start. The hunters may use any means appropriate to catch and return the quarry. Hunters may work alone, or in teams as they prefer. There is, as you no doubt perceive, more kudos to bringing down the quarry alone. If you are caught doing anything untoward by another member of staff, you are disqualified, and letters will be sent to parents. No player is permitted to mention the game to anyone not in Slytherin, dire consequences will follow for anyone foolhardy enough to break this rule. If the quarry remains free until sunset, they are declared the winner. Does anyone have any questions?"

Stiletto Hemlock, a first year with features almost as pointed as her name, put her hand up at once.

"Yes?"

"Sir, are there any restrictions on what we can d to the quarry to subdue them in order to bring them back here?"

"The quarry must be returned alive to the common room, and any damage to them must be temporary in nature. Anyone else?"

A hand went up on the far side of the room. Jana couldn't see who it was.

"Are we allowed, the hunters that it, to take out other hunters?"

"You may use any means you see fit, within the limitation that death is deemed an unacceptable side effect of the game. Elric Black, you have a question?"

"What about places normally deemed off limits, like the forbidden forest?"

"If a player - hunter or quarry, chooses to enter an off limits area of the school, they do so at their own risk. Let me make this clear to you. If you get into any kind of difficulty, sustain an injury, fall foul of other staff members or otherwise compromise yourself, no one in this house will acknowledge any responsibility. This game does not officially exist."

Snape gave his remarks time to sink in before he spoke again.

"We must pick a runner, someone with the wit and skill to stay hidden for a while. Who will be our quarry?"

He scanned the room slowly. Jana pressed herself against the wall, and kept her eyes up, knowing better than to show any signs of doubt or fear. She knew he was as likely to pick an unpopular student for his pets to torment, as he was to choose one who might stand a chance of out running the pack.

"Joquasta Bifrost managed very well last year, and evaded capture until the afternoon. We have not had a quarry winner in quite some time now I believe. Who considers themselves ready for a challenge?"

One or two of the older boys raised hands, and Snape nodded, acknowledging their offer.

"Perhaps we shall test our collective metal today, discovering who has the intellect worthy of this house, who amongst us has the sheer deviousness of imagination, the capacity for subterfuge and the cunning that befits a Slytherin."

The room was utterly silent as he spoke.

"Janet Jones. I choose you to be our quarry for the day."

Jana felt her face growing unbearably hot as other students looked round the room, trying to pick her out.

"Jones, come here."

She went, with heavy heart, wishing she could disappear into the carpet.

"Take a good look at Jones, and make sure you can recognise her. She may take measures to disguise herself. Now, you will have your head start, I suggest you commence running."

One pale and slender hand opened the common room door in front of her. A firm hand on her shoulder pushed her through. She heard the door click shut. Jana lost precious moments in blind panic, not knowing which way to run or where to hide. It wasn't the ignominy of capture that troubled her, it was the certainty that she would be made to suffer by whoever tracked her down. The game created a perfect opportunity to settle old debts, punish victims of preference and generally cause as much unpleasantness as possible. Jana was not a popular student. She had spent the last three games hiding herself – no one much cared where she was or what she did and participation had never especially appealed. This year she was going to have to hide very well indeed. She started running, at first not thinking at all about where she went, but needing to get away.


	2. Chapter 2

Without thinking, Jana dived behind the first door she encountered outside Slytherin territory. As soon as the door shut behind her, she realised her mistake – she was in one of the toilets. Opening a window, she ascertained that the drop on the other side was too far for a descent. Her choices were to go back out into the corridor and keep running, or hide in here. The corridor beyond was long and exposed, the toilet cubicles far too obvious. Jana picked one at the far end, and shut herself in. At least the walls were stone, and the door was long enough to fill the frame. It would keep out her pursuers for a little while, but probably wouldn't stand a major battery with spells.

The cubicle was poorly lit and pleasantly cool. Jana stood absolutely still for a while, catching her breath. She was a passable runner, but the panicked flight had taken its toll. Looking at her watch, she saw her fifteen minutes of grace had already passed, by her guess. She hadn't checked the time when she set off, nor did she know how many minutes had dripped away while she panicked. The hunters would be after her, and she wasn't very well hidden at all. Time for some serious thinking. Reaching into one of her many pockets, Jana retrieved a handful of writing implements. The students born to wizarding parents might prefer the quill for writing, but Jana still liked the tools of her muggle-born infancy. She had chalk, charcoal and several pencils. Glancing at the smooth sandstone of the wall, she made a quick decision and kept the charcoal, shoving the rest back where they had come from.

There were voices in the corridor beyond, and the main toilet door opened. Jana started work on the wall, going as quickly as her shaking hands would permit.

"Check the open window," one boy hissed. She didn't recognise the voice, but it was deep enough to make her imagine some lumbering brute of a fifth year who could beat her to a pulp without even picking his wand up.

"Not unless she'd got a broom or some flight spell stashed. Drop's too far."

"Cubicles then."

"She wouldn't be stupid enough to just lock herself in a toilet, would she?"

They came closer, and Jana could hear them throwing open cubicle doors. She was almost done.

"I'd heard she's really dense, the sorting hat must have had a funny fit, throwing her in with us."

"Aha."

Someone pushed hard against her door. The lock held, but Jana jumped with alarm. She drew a quick circle on the wall, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Come out little girl, or we'll blow you out through the roof," one of them threatened.

Jana closed her hand over a cold stone doorknob and twisted. There was a moment of resistance, then the door swung open and she slipped through, closing it hurriedly behind her. She could hear the sounds of them breaking down the cubicle door, and wondered what they would make of the empty space, and the hasty door she had drawn on the wall. She hoped they wouldn't even notice. This was not a skill she wanted to share.

It being early in the morning, the astrology tower was entirely deserted, which is why Jana had chosen it. The door behind her was firmly locked now that she had passed through it. She slumped, sitting on the floor with her back against the wooden door. Safe, at least for a little while. From this vantage point, she had a very good view of Hogwarts, and the surrounding landscape. It occurred to her as a lone figure on a tower that never saw much use during the day, she would stand out horribly. Even lying down, she might be spotted, and if any of her fellow Slytherins decided to get their brooms out, they would locate her in an instant. Furthermore, a cold north easterly wind was blowing into her, and she was bitterly cold. Keeping an eye out for possible threats, Jana wracked her brains. There were plenty of quiet, lonely spots in the grounds, some of which she knew quite well. The trouble was, there were a lot of Slytherins looking for her, some with considerable hunting experience. She would have to come up with a bolt hole so clever and devious that none of her peers would think of it. No small challenge that. Furthermore, there were limitations on her skill with doors – she had to know the door she wanted in order to pass magically through it, she couldn't make herself pop up just anywhere, although it was something she'd been working on for years.

Jana did not want to be caught using her own brand of magic. Once her ability was known, she feared it would prove far less useful to her. No more sneaking around the school after dark to look aver exam papers in advance or crib essay answers from more gifted pupils. No more scope for going home when she felt like it either. You might not be able to apparate in the grounds of Hogwarts, but it was perfectly easy to open a door and walk out. Jana suspected there were plenty of people who would see uses for her unusual talent. Ministry of magic people. Death eater people. Regular criminal people. Morality wasn't a big issue, but Jana liked her freedom, to come and go as it suited her. Her ambitions in life were to be answerable to no one, to never write a CV and to never again be subjected to wearing a uniform. She tolerated being at Hogwarts because it was useful, she had learned things – especially about the structure of the wizarding world and because being a loner and a misfit was nothing new.

She thought through all the rooms she had used, only to reject them. Either they were too public, or too impractical. The trouble was, anywhere with a door could be accessed be a determined peer. Then inspiration struck, the one place that would surely be safe, and the last place anyone would think to look.

Jana rose to her feet, closed her eyes ad thought very carefully about the door she wanted to open. She took the heavy metal latch securing the tower door, and imagined the polished metallic surface of a doorknob she knew but had not yet touched. She pictured the smooth, shiny black wood of the door, and the stonework around it. Jana had no idea exactly what would be on the other side, but it would be interesting to find out. She could feel the low hum of her magic as it allowed her to do the seemingly impossible.

There was a risk. Professor Snape could very easily be in his room, but she guessed he would maintain his usual habit of wandering around the school, trying to catch his own students out. As no-one in their right mind would break into his room, Jana felt quite safe about hiding there. The door would be warded against people who tried to open it by force. Jana's magic wasn't anything well known. It wasn't exactly magic, in the traditional wizarding sense. It was more that doors liked her, and tended to let her go wherever she wanted to as she passed through them.

There was a smell of something rich and fragrant. Jana couldn't identify it. She slipped through the door, closing it behind her as she opened her eyes. No Snape. So far so good. She remained poised, listening carefully for sounds of movement, but there were none. The room was clearly part of a small apartment. This one contained books, items, a large wooden desk and several elegant chairs. There was a plush rug on the floor. Jana decided there was hardly any point being in here if she didn't take advantage and have a good snoop round.

Most of the books were tomes on potions, as far as she could tell from the titles. Knowing nothing about wizarding books beyond those she had personally encountered, Jana had little idea which ones would be most interesting. She quite liked potions as a subject, it being one of the few in which you could do quite well without resorting to a wand. There were some books whose covers she could not read. Some sort of charm made the titles indecipherable. She took one of these down – a heavy book bound in sleek black leather. There was a clasp, and it was locked. Jana stroked it for a while, but knew there wasn't much she could do. Doors would unlock themselves for her, books wouldn't. Disappointed, she put the book back.

She spent a while exploring the other rooms. There was a bedroom, with a very large bed, all immaculately tidy. A long wardrobe contained a large number of different costumes – robes, and jackets abounded. She'd half hoped he might have some diary or journal lying about. It would be interesting to read something like that and find out what he thought, and how he spent his time when he wasn't teaching. Jana was terrified of Snape, of his temper, and his vicious sarcasm. If he decided to throw her out of Slytherin, as well he might, she would be in real trouble. Her parents were muggles, and they even if they did send in an angry letter, they had no clout. Her position was rather exposed. She knew he didn't much like her, but then, most of the rest of her house seemed to feel she didn't belong with them. Even though she feared him, she also found him compelling. Like her, he was clearly a loner. As far as she had been able to make out, he was close to no-one, and probably never would be. A solitary raven, she felt. This gave her some feeling of affinity with the man, and she wanted to know what was behind it.

Getting lunch was tricky. The refectory was clearly no go, and the kitchens themselves were a high risk. Hunger would drive a quarry out, and her hunters would be watching closely any place she might go for food. Technically she wasn't allowed to leave the school during the game. Jana thought about this for a while. She didn't think it was very likely anyone would catch her if she nipped out for a bite to eat. It would mean breaking one of the rules, but on the whole Jana felt that so long as no one knew, it really didn't make any odds at all. She doubted they'd put a truth spell on her to find out where she'd been, if she won. If they did that, she'd have far more to worry about than bunking off to pick up a sandwich.

Jana headed for her home town. She used the shopping centre toilets. Generally she found toilets useful - people were always coming and going, so you could walk out of a cubicle without attracting any attention whatsoever. She wondered why she hadn't left the school in the first place, but she had been panicking. On the whole, spying on Snape had been rather fun and she thought she might go back for another look round before the end of the day. The only reason she hadn't tried to get in to his room before was that she was never quite sure when he might turn up. Today he would be safely occupied. She was in such a good mood that she stole an entire pizza for lunch, before heading back.


	3. Chapter 3

On her return journey, she decided to use the wardrobe door in Snape's bedroom. Having seen it, it was easy enough to find. She'd been thinking about his clothes, and as a consequence found herself in the wardrobe, facing the wooden back, rather than stepping out of it. This happened sometimes, if she didn't concentrate properly. Jana turned and was about to step out, when she heard movement. There was someone in Snape's bedroom. She hoped with all her heart it was just a house elf. There was no way out of the wardrobe without opening the door, and if she stepped through only to vanish, that could cause trouble. Peering through a slit in the door, she saw it was the head of Slytherin himself making the noises.

Jana hardly dared to breathe. The slightest sound or movement could give her away. Snape disappeared from her narrow field of vision. She heard movement, some sort of liquid being poured, then splashing. _What on earth was he doing?_ A few moments later she could see him again. Towel in hand. He had been washing. Jana found it hard to think of him doing normal, mundane stuff. There he was, stripped to the waist, drying off a body that she couldn't keep her eyes off. Snape was as pale as he was lean. His muscles were toned and she could see now how he was able to move with such poise. Jana bit her lower lip. There was no helping it, she had more than her fair share of teenage hormones running around in her bloodstream, and exposure to half naked men was bound to have an effect. Regardless of how he might be in person, the man looked seriously fit and she couldn't help but lust after him a bit.

Jana was so preoccupied by her sudden crush that she hardly thought about what else was happening. Snape approached his wardrobe in all innocence, in search of fresh attire. Only at the last minute did she realise what he was doing. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. The wardrobe door opened. For a few brief seconds, Jana entertained a hope that he somehow might not notice her. Snape's mind was clearly elsewhere, because he reached for a garment, and paused, hand frozen in midair as he noticed the interloper.

"Jones?" he said, his tone disbelieving. "Jones, what are you doing in my wardrobe?"

"Hiding, sir." There wasn't much else she could say really.

He shook his head.

"Kindly remove yourself before you crumple anything."

Jana emerged, sneaking a sideling glance at her partially clad head of house.

"Now," Snape said, folding his arms across his chest. "I think you had better tell me how you came to be in my wardrobe in the first place."

"I thought it would be a good place to hide, I was sure no one would think to look for me in here."

Jana decided her best bet was to stall and hope there was somewhere else he had to be. She suspected she was in serious trouble.

"And how did you get in Jones?"

"Through the door sir," she said honestly. "How else?"

"How else indeed? I am not in the habit of leaving my doors open, or unlocked for that matter. I like my privacy and do not appreciate having it violated by students. I will ask you again, how did you get in here?"

"I walked in through the door sir. Give me a truth potion if you don't believe me."

She did her best to look him in the eye. The height difference didn't make it terribly easy, nor did the alarmingly intense expression on his face. It took every ounce of will she could muster not to look away. There was a peculiar crawling feeling inside her skull, as though a thousand ants were trotting their little feet across her consciousness.

"Very interesting," Snape said.

He stepped closer. Jana felt herself shaking. She managed to get one leg under control, only to find the other one starting. Snape took her narrow chin between his fingers and tilted her face upwards so that she had no choice but to maintain eye contact. He was so close she was sure she could feel the heat radiating from his body. His gaze seemed to mesmerise her, leaving her giddy. The creeping ant feeling started to seem like something much bigger, as though there was a wolf stalking through her mind, or perhaps a lone raven with large, silent wings. She felt the intrusion keenly, even though she had no idea what was happening to her.

When he finally let her go, she stumbled.

"Sit on the edge of the bed," he said. "We need a little talk Jones."

She watched groggily as he dressed. He wasn't at all self conscious, she realised. Perhaps he knew that he had a gorgeous body. Perhaps he didn't care in the slightest what she thought of him. As she watched, she noticed he had a mark on one arm. Squinting, she managed to make out what it was. Jana's mouth went very dry. She had leaned enough about the wizarding world to recognise the dark mark. That meant Snape was, or at least had been a Death Eater. This was not good news. When he finished, he sat down on the bed, a few feet from her. Jana knew she was in a very dangerous position.

"This is the situation as I see it," Snape began. "I could turn you over to the first Slytherins I find, thus ending the game, but I don't think I will. If you stay here until sunset, you can be sure none of your peers will discover you."

"Thank you sir."

"I have some conditions to lay down however. Firstly, I do not want this talent of yours made known, any more than you do. Don't look so shocked Jones, your mind is almost as easy to read as your face I'm afraid."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, deeply disconcerted.

"Secondly, I do not want to find you in my rooms again unless I have invited you here myself, understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Thirdly, I would like the opportunity to study your abilities, to find out what kind of warding you can pass through for a start."

This was precisely the outcome Jana had feared.

"What happens if I don't want to do that sir?"

"I don't know. I will have to consider the implications, if that is your decision?"

"Not necessarily. I really don't give a toss about this game. You can hand me over or not, it doesn't matter. So, you can't use that over me."

"As your head of house, I could have you expelled."

"Given what you know about me, do you think I'd be a good person to have as an enemy?" Jana said. She was petrified and completely out of her depth, but her freedom mattered to her above all else and she wasn't about to become Snape's new lab rat if she could possibly help it.

"I think we might agree that we could cause each other a good deal of trouble if either of us so desired. You are a dark horse, aren't you Jones? Quite the little Slytherin after all."

She flushed with pride at his words.

"I shall be frank with you. You appear to have an exceptional talent, quite unlike anything I've ever before heard of. There are a lot of people who would go to considerable lengths to get hold of someone possessed of such skills."

"Yourself included."

"Most definitely."

"What's in it for me?"

Snape smiled.

"In the immediate future, I can make your life a lot easier. You aren't the first Slytherin mudblood, even though the behaviour of the majority may incline you to believe it. I can make sure that you suffer no further bullying."

"That would be useful."

"In the longer term, well, perhaps we should see what comes to pass."

"I'm not making any open ended deals or binding myself to anything vague," Jana said.

"I accept that. We shall perhaps make our pacts as we go. I can offer you some degree of protection, in exchange for making some use of your abilities."

"We'll see how it goes then, shall we?"

"Indeed."

Snape offered her his hand, and Jana shook it.

"We have several hours to kill until sunset," Snape said. "I'm not going to leave you in here on your own, so we might as well make a start. Why don't you tell me what you know about yourself and your ability?"

"Ok," Jana said.

"Have you eaten? I'll arrange for some drinks at least. We may as well be comfortable as we work I think."

Jana nodded. This was turning out very weirdly indeed. Snape was being relatively nice to her. It was reassuring to know this was only because he thought there was something in it for him. She knew she would have been caught with her door magic sooner or later, and there were worse people to end up beholden to, she supposed. Off the top of her head, she couldn't think of any, but it seemed probable. She decided honesty would be the best policy – the man had proved he could read her mind, and this way might be less arduous, she thought.

"Talk," he instructed. "I want to know everything you can tell me."

"I don't come from a wizarding family," she said. "But you know that. So there's nothing much to account for how I am. The earliest I can remember is opening the door to my play pen. I told the door I wanted out, and it let me. At first it was just things like that – I never encountered a locked door, they always open for me. It was years before I realised there was anything funny going on."

"No ordinary lock can keep you out?" he asked. "What about magical ones?"

"Did you ward you room? Do you ward the dungeon when you aren't using it?"

"Yes, and yes."

"Is Hogwarts warded to stop people getting in and out?"

"In numerous ways."

She shrugged. "Then I guess I can go through magical locks as easily as normal ones. Want to test that?"

So they spent a while with Snape casting increasingly complex wards and locks on his wardrobe. None of them so much as slowed her down.

"How are you doing that?" he asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I know what I'm doing and how it feels, but I can't tell you why it works."

"Most peculiar," he said. "I would imagine even Gringots couldn't guard their doors against you. You have no doubt considered the criminal applications of your skills?"

"To be honest, I'm not all that much into owning stuff. I take things if I need them, but that's about as far as it goes."

Jana wasn't entirely sure when she had stopped calling Snape 'sir' but he didn't seem to have noticed. She didn't like titles and hierarchy in the slightest.

"What really interests me is your knack for entering one door and appearing through another. Could you demonstrate that for me? I would like to see it objectively rather than having to rely on the vagaries of reading your mind."

It occurred to Jana that he might have picked up something about her fancying him, and she blushed. She also considered the possibility that this presented the perfect opportunity for escape. The trouble was, while she remained at Hogwarts, Severus was an unavoidable part of life. Running away from him now wouldn't solve anything. She approached his wardrobe.

"Righty ho. Out through the wardrobe then."

She stepped into the familiar space, her eyes closed and her hand firm on the round handle. Her thoughts focused on the bedroom door, stepping through from the book-filled room beyond.

"And in through the door!"

She knew it had worked even before she opened her eyes. Jana couldn't help but grin at Severus, and at the unmasked look of surprise on his face.

"Truly remarkable," he said.

Jana found she rather liked his praise and attention. She had never shared her gift with anyone before, but Snape appeared capable of really appreciating it.

"How many people know you can do this?" he enquired.

"Just you and me, although I think the sorting hat had a fair idea. Does that count as a person?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. It tends to be discrete about what it finds in students minds," Snape observed. "Now, when did you first master this unusual skill?" he continued.

"It happened by accident the first time," Jana began.

A low chime sounded in the next room, interrupting her.

"Sunset," Snape pointed out. "I do believe you've won the Slytherin Game, Jones. Allow me the pleasure of escorting you to the common room."

Jana had forgotten about the game.


	4. Chapter 4

Sunset brought the Slytherin students hurriedly back to their common room as everyone was eager to discover the winner. Snape pushed Jana into the crowded space, in much the same way as he had pushed her out of it only a few hours previously.

"This has been an unusual game," he announced, the sound of his voice bringing the room to instant quiet.

"Seldom is it that the quarry wins the day, but this year Janet Jones has achieved this rare success."

With this, he placed a dark green robe around her shoulders. The room was rather quiet, then a few students started clapping. Snape joined in, and before long there was considerable applause. Jana stood, silent and stunned.

"Jones has not depended solely upon magic for her victory. Magic is a useful tool, but woe betide any wizard foolish enough to expect magic will solve his every difficulty. Jones has indeed used magic to evade you, but, I discover from talking with her, she has also used intelligent thought and imagination to good effect. She has taken advantage of alliances, and exploited personal advantages in admirable ways. Never forget the mundane possibilities. An assassin with a sharp knife may kill you very easily if you only think to defend yourself from an enemy with a wand.

"Now, the refectory is ours alone for the next few hours. We shall enjoy our traditional feast, and Jones will have the honour of sitting at the head of the table. You have fifteen minutes to make yourselves presentable. I suggest you hurry."

A mad dash ensued as students ran for their dorms and wardrobes. As the common room emptied, Snape turned to Jana and spoke to her alone.

"Unless you had other arrangements in place, I should like to take you in to diner myself."

Jana blushed, and grinned.

"Sure," she said.

"In light of current circumstances, you have my permission to drop certain formalities in private, but in public you will continue to call me 'sir' or 'professor'."

"Yes Professor Sir," she said, her voice loaded with sarcasm.

He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Jana took the stairs to her dormitory at a run.

The refectory appeared larger than ever. Empty of students, and with only one long table running down its length, the space was formidable. Looking up, Jana could see familiar constellations glittering in a dark sky. Candlelight illuminated the long table, but deep shadows prevailed in the farthest corners of the hall. Her hand rested lightly on Snape's arm. He strode forward, and Jana found it easy enough to match his pace. It was all she could do not to start giggling. That she, the most despised Slytherin in the school, should be walking in to a feast as the triumphant victor of a hard game, escorted by her dashing head of house, was something she struggled to believe. She half expected to wake up at any moment.

The meal itself was easy enough – the people around her were more intent on eating than talking. The Slytherin students weren't going to suddenly embrace her, she knew that. With a bit of luck Snape's open approval would take the heat off her a bit. She hoped so. After the feasting, Snape called for volunteers. Jana listened with wonder as various students rose from their seats, to quote ancient poetry written in magical tongues, or recount tales of former glory. Jana had heard such pieces before, and had a fair idea that none of the other three houses had traditions to rival Slytherin's. They represented to true aristocracy of the wizarding world. However, like most noble strains, they were suffering the ill effects of inbreeding. Some of her peers were far paler than they should be, and several were more than a little odd. They were dreadfully short of fresh blood, but this seemed to make them tolerate half breeds and mudbloods even less. Jana knew enough about muggle history to know that aristocracies could always be entered by those with the wit, resources and determination. Blood wasn't everything.

Gradually, the company around the table thinned. The youngest students went first and reluctantly, dragging their feet. By midnight even those in their NEWT years were tiring. Jana determined to stay to the very end. She felt exhausted, but the day had been far too exciting and she didn't want to end it until she absolutely had to. Eventually, only she and Snape remained.

"Thank you," she said, feeling very grown up indeed. "I've had a wonderful evening. Actually, it's been a pretty good day for me."

"And a very interesting day for me Miss Jones."

"When do you want me to… umm…" she looked around, even though there was no-one close by to hear them.

"Tomorrow evening," he said.

"Where?"

"You may as well come to my rooms Jones. We aren't likely to be disturbed there."

"I'll just pick a door," she said. "What time?"

"Eight. I shall make sure not to be in the bathroom then. I suspect you of a devious sense of humour Jones."

"You might be right."

The look on his face altered slightly. It wasn't exactly a smile, but there was just the faintest hint of warmth, or possibly amusement there. Jana raised an eyebrow, grinned and wished she had the nerve to blow him a kiss. That would be too much. Like baiting a caged lion, when you aren't so sure the cage is perfectly lion-proof.

With that, she departed for her bed. Jana was relieved to find the other girls in her dormitory all safely asleep when she got back. She had been obliged to learn a number of advanced charms and warding spells just to keep them from interfering with her possessions, leaving sticky, squelchy things in her bed and hiding her books. Now they mostly left her alone.

Jana curled up in her bed, and let the day replay itself in her mind. She had seen professor Snape, topless. That was an image to treasure, and one she knew would stay with her for a long time to come. Just thinking about it made her feel all hot and wriggly at the same time. In private, he wasn't nearly so scary as in public, she decided. It would be interesting to see what their next rendezvous brought. Jana liked the idea of secret, illicit meetings. She was sure Snape shouldn't be entertaining lone female students in his rooms at night. She would certainly be out of her room beyond the curfew, unless he was very quick questioning her. The rule breaking only added to the fun, as she saw it.

They caught her after a transfiguration lesson. Jana had been in too good a mood to take her usual careful precautions. She didn't see them coming in the crowd. The first thing she knew was when she fell, tripped by a carefully placed foot. They dragged her a short distance, grazing her knees and hauling her out of the general melee of students into a quiet room. Several hard kicks landed on her back and ribs. She gritted her teeth instinctively, determined not to cry out.

"Not so clever now, are we Jones?"

Jana didn't look up. The voice was female. Her attackers could be pretty much any of the Slytherins and it really didn't matter which ones. Then she felt the unpleasantly familiar zing of someone casting magic at her. Jana stayed still. She wasn't much good at rapid wand use. It felt as though thousands of tiny needles were pricking her skin. She writhed, unable to stay still.

"Don't think you'll stay in favour long, Jones. Professor Snape doesn't like mudbloods any more than the rest of us. You're scum, and we all know it."

"Don't start thinking you're anyone important. You're not," chimed in another voice, this one male.

"What are we going to do with her?" the first girl asked.

"Binding spell first I think."

Jana felt her limbs freeze. This wouldn't be the first time someone had decided to make her late for a lesson. She knew better than to name the culprits. It would mean another detention, but so long as it wasn't tonight, it didn't matter.

"I've got a really nasty little ant nest spell, let's try that on Jones."

"What does it do?"

"Summons a large number of ants to crawl over the victim's body. Of course, if they aren't removed, they start eating. What do you think Jones, will anyone notice you've gone and come to your rescue, or are you going to be ant fodder?"

Paralysed, Jana could say nothing. Fear wracked her. She felt her skin begin to itch, as though thousands of tiny feet were running all over her. Had she been able to, she would have screamed. She heard her attackers go, but before the door shut, trapping her, there came a voice.

"And what sort of trouble are you lot causing?"

Jana didn't recognise the newcomer. It wasn't one of the teachers. Most likely the girl was a prefect from one of the other houses. There were denials, a few insults, the sound of departing feet. Jana was close to losing all hope.

"Bloody hell!" the girl said.

In seconds, the ants had gone, and the binding spell was broken.

"Are you all right?"

Jana hauled herself into a more dignified sitting position.

"I'll live."

"She was bruised, sore and shaken, but there was no permanent damage done.

"Do you want to go to the infirmary? You've got a nasty bruise coming up and you look pretty shaken."

"It's ok. I must have banged myself on something."

"We should go to the Headmaster. He doesn't like bullying, and that was nasty stuff they'd done to you."

"I'd rather not. They were just mucking about."

Jana knew that if she stirred up any trouble, things would only get worse for her.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue," she said. "I owe you one. What's your name?"

"You can call me Tonks," the girl said.

"Thanks Tonks. I'm Jana."

"Ah. I've heard of you. The infamous Slytherin mudblood. Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

"It's ok, I don't really care what people call me."

"I'll keep an eye out for you," the girl added.

"And I owe you a favour. I'll remember that."

"Ok."


End file.
